Hardesty Special (oz16520)

About this Plan

Hardesty Special. Free flight sport model for rubber power. Low wing layout. Wingspan 18 in.

Quote: "A Monoplane - The Hardesty Special. The monoplane described herewith is named after its designer, Tomalee Hardesty, age 16. This airplane looks artistic, takes off and alights in a perfect manner, and flies sufficiently long to please the most fastidious.

The plans shown in Supplement No. 313 are full size. If desired, the dimensions may be doubled for the more expert student.

The monoplane has a detachable motor with easily adjusted propeller and nose plug. The tail surfaces are movable and the entire plane weighs but 5/8 oz when completed.

Its low-wing is firmly attached to the fuselage by means of a pair of slanting struts on each side, and by conventional cementing where the root-ribs join the body.

All parts are balsawood, except where otherwise stated.

There are a number of approaches, in making the Hardesty Special monoplane. It is fairly simple to cut all the ribs first, then make the entire wing; or it is all right to make the fuselage formers first, and build the body foundation, and proceed from there to the tail, landing gear, propeller, and wing.

Suppose the propeller is made first, with the propeller shaft, thrust bearings and spinner. When the nose plug is completed, the propeller can be added, and that unit is completed, ready for the silver painting.

While the propeller unit is drying, the ribs may be cut and properly shaped as indicated, then cemented to the leading and trailing edges, and the spar. It may either be covered at once, or after the entire monoplane structure is completed.

When the body formers are finished, and the longerons properly cemented in place, then the stringers may be cemented in place. The landing gear and tail parts may then be added, the wing placed properly on the fuselage, and the final covering done.

Before any dope-painting is done, the plane may be tried out as a glider or it may be flown. It may also be weighed, then doped, after which it is again to be weighed to get the total weight of the dope.

The final weight when completed is about 5/8 oz. "

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote: "Steve, Attached is a really awesome article and plan from 1935. A friend obtained the magazine from an Antique store and lo and behold the plan was still in it. My guess would be that I will be able to forward a picture of the model in the near future. Cheers, George Gilbert"

Update 18/1/2026: Added alternate article scan, thanks to Pit. This is lower res but in greyscale, so the photos are easier to make out.

Supplementary file notes

Article.
Article (alternate).

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